How To Buy Stock In

Buy and sell Microsoft stock (MSFT)

4 February 2019

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Arm yourself with news, trends and market history on this tech giant.

Microsoft is an iconic mainstay that was among the first manufacturers of personal computers and OSs in the 1980s. Today, it earns nearly $90 billion a year, making it a popular choice for investors.

Recent stock performance of MSFT

Before investing in a company like Microsoft, review its past stock prices and recent headlines alongside something called the moving average convergence/divergence — or MACD. MACD is a trading indicator that exposes the strength, momentum and duration of a trend. As with all investments, past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Microsoft’s technical performance

Technical analysis is the mathematical study of a stock’s price based on its recent trends. Here’s what several key technical indicators say about Microsoft’s current stock trend, according to charting service TradingView.

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How to stay up to date with Microsoft stock

When buying or selling stock in a company, pay attention to its current affairs by monitoring elements like:

Financial reporting.Know when a company typically releases its financial reports. These reports can let you know how the company is performing, which affects the stock price. Microsoft reports annually on June 30th each year, as well as intermittently throughout the year.

Company news.Keep an eye on the news. New releases, new countries or markets and hiring and firing staff can all affect a company’s stock.

Wider news.Be aware of external events and news that can affect Microsoft’s share price— for instance, trends in game console sales and its impact on Microsoft’s Xbox One.

Does the company pay dividends? Microsoft pays back some of its profits as dividends to its shareholders. Dividends can reveal the success of a brand.

Shareholder meetings.Often held annually, these meetings invite large shareholders to attend and vote on matters relating to the company.

Things to consider before investing

Before investing in any company, know the answers to key questions like:

What does the company do? The name is recognizable, but can you explain what the company actually does? If you can’t, do some background research

Is it making a profit? If you’re not sure if a company is profitable, it could be a red flag. You can read Microsoft’s quarterly or annual earnings reports and look at the figures for yourself.

Who are the main competitors? Know if the company is a market leader, a newcomer or a fast-growing disrupter. If the company you’re considering operates globally, keep an eye on foreign competition, too.

Who runs the company? It’s easy to track down who runs a company, and any decent company lists its senior managers, too. Knowing the leaders can tell you something about the company’s stability and management style.

Is the company’s position sustainable? If you’re looking for a long-term investment, evaluate the likelihood of the company sticking around. If you’re looking for a short-term gain, this is less important.

Is there room for future growth?Look at the company’s outlook for medium- to long-term growth to determine whether it’s reached its maximum size or has room to grow.

Bottom line

As one of the biggest names in personal computing for the last three decades, there’s a good chance that Microsoft isn’t going anywhere soon. But that doesn’t mean its stock price is invincible. Do your research and decide if they’re a company you’re willing to buy stock in.

The value of any investment can go up or down depending on news, trends and market conditions. We are not investment advisers, so do your own due diligence to understand the risks before you invest.

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